Molecular alterations in human olfactory mucosal cells from healthy individuals and individuals with Alzheimer's disease induced by real-world ambient air

Pavel Rossner; Helena Libalova; Michal Sima; Tereza Cervena; Zuzana Simova; Kristyna Vrbova; Antonin Ambroz; Andrea Rossnerova; Zuzana Novakova; Fatima Elzeinova; Anezka Vimrova; Jiri Klema; Anne M Koivisto; Elina Penttilä; Lubos Dittrich; Michal Vojtisek; Martin Pechout; Katja M Kanninen; Michal Vojtisek-Lom

doi:10.1016/j.etap.2026.105019

Molecular alterations in human olfactory mucosal cells from healthy individuals and individuals with Alzheimer's disease induced by real-world ambient air

Environ Toxicol Pharmacol. 2026 Apr 12:124:105019. doi: 10.1016/j.etap.2026.105019. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Pavel Rossner¹, Helena Libalova², Michal Sima², Tereza Cervena², Zuzana Simova², Kristyna Vrbova², Antonin Ambroz², Andrea Rossnerova², Zuzana Novakova², Fatima Elzeinova², Anezka Vimrova², Jiri Klema³, Anne M Koivisto⁴, Elina Penttilä⁵, Lubos Dittrich⁶, Michal Vojtisek⁶, Martin Pechout⁶, Katja M Kanninen⁷, Michal Vojtisek-Lom⁶

Affiliations

¹ Department of Toxicology and Molecular Epidemiology, Institute of Experimental Medicine CAS, Prague, Czech Republic. Electronic address: pavel.rossner@iem.cas.cz.
² Department of Toxicology and Molecular Epidemiology, Institute of Experimental Medicine CAS, Prague, Czech Republic.
³ Department of Computer Science, Czech Technical University in Prague, Prague, Czech Republic.
⁴ Department of Neurology, Neuro Centre, Kuopio University Hospital, Kuopio 70210, Finland; Department of Geriatrics, Helsinki University Hospital and Neurosciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
⁵ Department of Otorhinolaryngology, University of Eastern Finland and Kuopio University Hospital, Kuopio, Finland.
⁶ Faculty of Mechatronics, Informatics and Interdisciplinary Studies, Technical University of Liberec, Liberec, Czech Republic.
⁷ A. I. Virtanen Institute for Molecular Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland.

PMID: 41974215
DOI: 10.1016/j.etap.2026.105019

Abstract

Ambient air pollution is a global problem linked to various diseases, including neurodegenerative disorders. Using a mobile exposure system, we investigated the molecular changes in human olfactory cleft mucosal (hOM) cells from healthy individuals and Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients exposed to real-world ambient air. Samples were exposed at the air-liquid interface in a low-pollution Background site and a moderately polluted (within recommended limits) Industrial site. We assessed immune response-related molecules, lipid peroxidation and global RNA expression. Leukemia-inhibitory factor (LIF) increased in healthy, but not AD samples at the Industrial locality, while lipid peroxidation levels remained unchanged. Compared with a blank control, significant enrichment of biological processes and KEGG pathways occurred only in Industrial site samples. In healthy cells, neurodegeneration-related pathways were significantly affected, whereas AD samples showed enhanced inflammation-related responses. These findings suggest that even pollution within recommended limits can induce molecular changes potentially contributing to neurodegenerative disease development.

Keywords: Air pollution; Alzheimer's disease; Exposure; Olfactory cleft mucosal cells.